An athlete sacrifices what most would consider a typical life: They replace social time with training time, time off with extra sessions in a gym, and turn draining mental energy into focused energy for success. Being a professional athlete takes a high degree of commitment and dedication. Adam Assenza, 31, attributes a lot of his passion for training to growing up as an elite tumbler and gymnast. Training upwards of 22 hours a week for close to 12 years, Assenza learned early on what commitment looked and felt like. “Training in gymnastics you need to be committed because the payoff happens later in the career, which is where most gymnasts aim for the Olympics. But you don’t get all your skill and strength until after puberty, so it’s a big commitment – you have to really love the sport. I take that same commitment and value to MMA.”
Despite his upbringing in gymnastics, his athletic career took a different direction after he participated in a sparring night at a local martial arts club. Assenza realized that he was a natural striker as he fought seasoned opponents with a degree of ease that surprised not only himself, but others around him. There began Assenza’s passion for MMA and ultimately, the beginning stages of his fighting career.
Assenza made his fighting debut in an American amateur league at the age of 18, where he was responsible for all of his training, booking, self-promotion, and ticket sales. As an amateur MMA fighter, Assenza got his first taste of success quickly, winning fights with ease. His creative striking power and showmanship secured a close following of MMA fans that have continued to support him over his now nine-year career as a professional top-ranked Canadian MMA fighter.
Along with being a pro MMA fighter, Assenza is also an athletic trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and avid businessman. With so many hats, it is hard to believe that he can keep focused on his MMA training, but the results speak for themselves. With a professional record of 12 wins and six losses, eight of those wins by KO, Assenza welcomes any challenge that walks into the cage. “Changing your hat from trainer, coach and businessman into top-ranked Canadian fighter, it’s difficult, especially when you have to wear different hats through your day to day; But you need to be able to hit that button and change instantly when it comes to walking into the cage.”
As a potential UFC contender and top-ranked Canadian pro MMA fighter, Assenza always looks forward to his next fight. He respects hard work and looks up to fighters who have similar strengths. When asked about mentors in the MMA world, Assenza admires fighters like Stephen “The Wonder Boy” Thompson, a former kickboxer, regarded as one of the best strikers in the business. Assenza, a fellow striker who once planned to make a professional boxing debut, believes his style of fighting is similar. “I’m a fan of Stephen Thompson because I’m a fan of the old school kickboxing era; Bill ‘Super Foot’ Wallace, Benny the Jet – I loved those guys growing up. Thompson is the last of that style. I love using gaps and some of the same kicking styles in my game.”
Being a local professional Canadian athlete and role model, Assenza was asked what type of advice he might give to someone who is considering a career as a pro MMA fighter. Without any hesitation, he remarked that becoming a well-rounded fighter is an integral part of being successful, along with making sure to find the highest quality coach in each discipline. He suggests finding instructors in all the niches so the learning can be balanced. When asked about his hardest fight to date, Assenza remarked, “My toughest fight was difficult because my opponent was extremely tough. I hurt him several times, yet he was always able to recover quickly; It showed me that I was relentless for what I wanted – which was to win.”
The first half of Assenza’s career was quite different from the second half, in that his focus and goals for himself became more honed in over the last five years. “There wasn’t any particular moment for me that defined my early career to my present career. I just became more seasoned in the game. I felt like I was always a much better athlete than most, but as I became more experienced, I learned there were different approaches and classes of coaches. I put that all together to create my perfect combination for success.” He states he has spent more time with jiu-jitsu and overall conditioning on top of athleticism, which is something Assenza said he always relied on above all. However, now his training is very focused and balanced, which contributes towards his successful career as a professional fighter.
What’s next for Assenza? “Win big fights,” he answers, knowing that with his already successful career full steam ahead, he needs to keep on his game and catch the attention of scouts for the UFC. Assenza hopes to one day represent Burlington proudly as a professional MMA fighter with the UFC. “I’ve been doing this long enough now where the goal has not changed and I’m closer than ever; I would like to fight in the UFC, so the plan is to keep winning fights impressively.”
To get in contact with Adam Assenza’s team, email maverick@adamassenza.com.
